prescription -v confused!

Hi, I have been wearing daily contact lenses for 12months (-1.25 in my left and -1.00 in my right). However because of the cost I decided to try monthly contacts. I was due an eye test anyway so had the eye test and got fitted for contacts at the same time. At the eye test I was told my prescription had gone up to -1.75 (left eye) and -2.00 (right eye); and I got new contacts for -1.75 in both eyes.

I tried a few different makes of contacts as at first they were quite uncomfortable; but the last ones I tried were the most moist and felt comfortable. However when I went back for a contacts check-up the optician said my eyes were too dry and that I wouldn’t be able to wear contacts at all.

As I had wore daily contacts for 12 months without any problems I decided to go to my previous optician who had supplied the daily contacts just for a second opinion to check whether they were damaging my eyes and I also had another eye test. He said my right eye had improved and is now only -0.75 (compared to -2.00 from the first optician) and my left eye is -1.25 (compared to -1.75 from the first optician). He said I should get new lenses for my old glasses as they’ll be too strong; but that I should continue to wear contacts that are -1.00 in my right and -1.25 in my left.

I hope someone can follow this as I am completely confused!Obviously to keep getting lenses changed and buying new contacts is expensive and it seems to me like they’re just guessing at my prescription. How can the results of two eye tests be so different? I just wanted to check whether anyone else has had any experience of this and other than paying for a 3rd eye test (!) if anyone has any ideas which I should go with?

I can see fine with my stronger contacts but then I could also see fine with the weaker ones before I had the first eye test. I can see without wearing glasses or contacts, but obviously things are blurred and after a while my right eye (the one which is either -0.75 or -2.00) especially starts to ache.

Any independent advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

It is very easy to prescribe glasses that are too strong in a young person.  The lower prescription is probably right.

Dr. O.